Queensland Sites
Cairns Esplanade Skatepark
introduction / overview / images / location / /Projects
Landscape Architect: Convic Design P/L
Location: Cairns Esplanade Skatepark, Northern Esplanade Cairns, Queensland
SUMMARY
The Cairns Esplanade Skatepark is not only Australia’s largest all ages public sporting facility of it’s type, but an important national and international community resource challenging the perception of what skateparks are and how they can integrate into the public domain.
The Cairns Esplanade Skatepark is the first skatepark of its kind blurring the lines between traditional skatepark infrastructure and landscape. Echoing the alignment of the new esplanade three skatepark plazas push through the landscape, rising to form and deform the upper tiers of the adjacent beach volleyball court viewing seat wall. Dissected by skateable paths, the plazas are connected back to the esplanade creating defined entry points to the facility. Perched and banked lawns arise in the wake of this concrete latticework, offering passive viewing and refuge areas able to be utilised for event days and competition, whilst addressing existing trees and services.
Adjoining an internationally recognised migratory wader bird habitat and in close proximity to a declared fish habitat area, the foreshore of the northern esplanade overlays soft marine clays requiring the area to be preloaded before excavation works could take place. A major influential factor in setting the levels of the skatepark bowls and in turn the whole facility was to avoid any disturbance of the underlying acid sulphate soil. Adhering to Councils philosophy of no net environmental impact – any detrimental impact is compensated by an equal or greater beneficial impact.
As a non-traditional area of the landscape architecture, Convic Design is an international award winning design practice that contains a diverse mix of athletes and professionally qualified designers who work collaboratively on the likeminded goal of developing the most innovative, integrated design solutions for clients around the world. Convic Design would like to raise the Cairns Esplanade Skatepark as a example of New Directions In landscape Practice.
introduction / overview / images / location / /Projects
2008
